Flaw detector mechanism



Nov. 24, 1936. PERRY 2,061,979 I PLAY] DETECTOR MECHANISM Filed Nov. 15, 1933 cows 32 and 0 U 1P ormrrsneu'r 1y lNDucT 0 1 40 AMPuFuaR D 42. y 3 4% h Zim'aentor WALTEEM P's-2px Qttomeg panned N... 24, 1936 1 2,061,979

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLAW DETECTOR MECHANISM Walter M. Perry, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Sperry Products, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 15, 1933, Serial No. 698,064 8 Claims. (Cl. 177-311) This invention relates to rail flaw detector pair of inductive coils 26 housed within said housmechanism of the type employed in the Sperry ing 25. rail flaw detector cars. The operation of such The operation of the Sperry car as thus decars is now Well known and consists in mechascribed is well known. As the car travels along nism for locating and marking the region of the rails current is supplied from the generator 5 flaws within the rail. G to a portion of the rail between sets of brushes It has been found that on certain occasions the l I and' I2 to. establish an electromagnetic field marking means, which in the Sperry detector car surrounding same. Said field will be uniform is usually paint squirted on to the rail from a, except in the region of flaw where it will be dis- 10 paint gun, has been excessively actuated to give torted. The coils 26 normally cut a constant 10 an unusually long paint mark which made it number of lines of force and no E. M. F. is gendifiicult to locate the flaw exactly and at the same ated- On enter g a region of however, time utilized an excessive amount of paint. It one coil of the pair of coils 26 will cut a different is the principal object of this invention to pronumber of lines of force to induce a differential l5 vide means whereby the actuation of the paint E. M. F. which may be suitably amplified by gun will be limited in extent. amplifier A, the output of which may operate an Further objects and advantages of this invenindicator, Such as p 011 a moving e a tation will become apparent in the following detions in current supply from generator G will have tailed description thereof. no efiect upon the coils 26 since they are of equal In the accompanying drawing, inductance and oppositely connected. 30

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a Sperry Opera-ting the indicating a s as We l as rail flaw detector car to which my invention is making a mark upon the rail itself, I have shown adapted to be applied. the Sperry system heretofore employed and Fig. 2 is a Wiring diagram illustrating the con- Which Consists in a plur l of relays d dition which heretofore existed and which it is adapt to be e ergized by t O p from t e 25 the object of my invention t remedy amplifier A. Said relays are responsive to cur- Fig 3 is a wi in diagram similar t Fig 2 rents of difierent magnitudes so that a weak but disclosing my invention applied thereto. Output of p fi A uch as y b ue to a Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is disslight w, w n r ize only e y w ile a .30 closed a portion ID of the car body of a Sperry strong output will energize also relay 3|. Each of 30 rail flaw detector car. Within said car body is these ys s caused to energize a pen relay 32, mounted a generator Gwhich is designed to supdesigned to attract e a at ply current through sets of brushes II or 12 respec Said armature carrying P P and adapted to engage the rail. Said sets of brushes Said P normally ace St a ght line on 35 are supported by a brush carriage l5 which is the moving Fhart P When the P relays 35 designed to travel along the rail R by means such 33 a e nergl ed said pens are caused to make a, as flanged h ls [6, The curr t b h jog in the line to indicate the presence of a flaw. riage may be lowered into engagement with the The elrcult through ays 3 and 33 are conrail by means such as pistons [1 operating in trolled from relays 30 and 3| by attracting armacylinders H! to which fluid under pressure is u e a d t0 close sets of contacts 34, 40 adapted to be supplied when it is desired t lower 3s. kt the same time that contacts 34 close the the current brush carriage. When the fluid prese eu t t u t D re ay 32, they close the sure supply to the cylinders I8 is cut off the curcircuit through a paint gun relay 40 which atrent brush carriage will be raised by means of tracts its armature 40' to close contacts 4| to cables [9 and retracting springs (not shown). close and thus complete a circuit through a relay 45 Mounted on the current brush carriage I5 is a, 42 which attracts armature 42' to operate val e detector carriage 2| which is designed to have V controlling the discharge of paint through movement independent of said current brush carpaint gun M. The relay 40 is responsive only riage by reason of a limited universal connection to currents of greater magnitude than those to comprising loose-fitting bolts 22 and springs 23, which relays 32 and 33 respond. 50 the said detector carriage 2i being designed to It will be seen from Fig. 2 that the paint gun travel along the rails by means such as rollers relay 40 and the pen relay 32 are connected in 24 engaging the rail surface. The flaw responsive parallel so that when contacts 34 open the cirmeans is supported from the detector carriage 2| cuit through both relays should theoretically be within a sled or housing 25 and may comprise a broken. However, it has been found that these 55 two relays, as connected in Fig.2, bear an inductive relation to each other, owing to their differ.-

ent characteristics, so that when contacts 34, 35 are open, paint gun relay 40 continues to be actuated by reason of the induction between relays 32 and relay 40.

In order to obviate the condition described above wherein the paint gun continuesto be operated after contacts 34 have opened and, therefore, causes the paint gun to operate for an unnecessarily long period, I have provided the construction shown in Fig. 3. This consists in the addition of another relay 29 similar to relays 30 and 3| and similarly operated from the output of amplifier A. The relay 29 cooperates with armature 29 to control contacts 36 positioned in the parallel circuit existing between relays 32 and 40 in'Fig. 2. The relay 29 responds to currents of lesser magnitude than either the relay 30 or 3|, so that it is sure to be energized whenever a flaw is passed over to attract its armature 29' and close contacts 36. It will now be seen that closing contacts 36 and contacts 34 will again energize the pen relay 32 and. the paint gun relay 40. However, when contacts 36 and 34 open, there is no inductive relation between relay 32 and relay 40 because the opening of contacts 36 opens the parallel circuit between, relays 32 and 40 and breaks the inductive relation between them.

All of the relays attract their armatures against the action of retractile springs.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein' described the principle and operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also, while it is designed to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a flaw detector mechanism for electrical conductors, a flaw-responsive means, an electrically operated marker, means whereby said marker is actuated by said responsive means for marking the conductor, an additional electrically operated indicator, means whereby said indicator is actuated by said responsive means, means rendered effective when said responsive means encounters a flaw for connecting said marker and said indicator in an inductive circuit, said marker and said indicator having different inductances, and means whereby said connection is broken when said responsive means passes beyond said ,fiow.

2. In a flaw detector mechanism for electrical conductors, a flaw responsive means, an electrically operated marker, means whereby said marker is actuated by said responsive means for marking the conductor, an additional electrically operated indicator, means whereby said indicator is actuated by said responsive means, means rendered effective when said responsive means encounters a flaw for connecting said marker and said indicator in a parallel circuit, said marker and said indicator having different inductances and means whereby said connection is broken circuit and a relay in the when said responsive means passes beyond said 3. In a flaw detector mechanism for electrical conductors, a flaw responsive means, an electrically operated marker for marking the conductor, an additional electrically operated indiand means whereby said connection is broken when said responsive means passes beyond said flaw.

4. In a flaw detector mechanism for electrical conductors, a flaw responsive means, an electrically operated marker for marking the conductor,' an additional electrically operated indicator, means including a, relay in the marker indicator circuit whereby said responsive means actuates said marker and said indicator, means rendered effective when said responsive means encounters a flaw for connecting said relays in a, parallel circuit, said relays having'different inductances, and means whereby said connection is broken when said responsive means passes beyond said flaw.

5. In a flaw detector mechanism for electrical conductors, a flaw responsive means, an electrically operatedmarker, means whereby said marker is actuated by said responsive means for marking the conductor, an additional electrically operated indicator, means whereby said indicator is actuated by said responsive means, a relay, means whereby said relay is rendered effective when said responsive means encounters a flaw and is rendered ineffective when said responsive means passes beyond the flaw, means including a set of contacts, means whereby said set of contacts is actuated by said relay when rendered effective for connecting said indicator and said marker in an inductive circuit, said marker and said indicator having different inductances and means for actuating said contacts to break said inductive circuit when said relay is rendered inelfective.

6. In a flaw detector mechanism for electrical conductors, a flaw responsive means, an electrically operated marker, means whereby said marker is actuated by said responsive means for marking the conductor, an additional electrically operated indicator, means whereby said indicator is actuated by said responsive means, a relay,

,means whereby said relay is rendered effective- 0 electrically operated marker for marking the conductor, an additional electrically operated indicator and means whereby said flaw responsive means actuates said marker and said indicator, said last-named means comprising a plu- 7 (Seal) rality of relays responsive to currents of various magn udes adapted to be energized by said flaw respo sive means, a main circuit through said marker and said indicator including the relay responsive only to currents oi relatively greater magnitude; said marker and said indicator having different inductances and means for maintaining said inductive circuit open when said last named relay is de-energized.

8. In a flaw detector mechanism for electrical conductors, a flaw responsive mechanism, an electrically operated marker for marking the conductor,- an additional electrically operated indicator and means whereby said flaw responsive means actuates said marker and said indicator, said last-named means comprising a plurality of relays responsive to currents of various magnitudes adapted to be energized by said flaw responsive means, a main circuit through said marker and said indicator including the relay responsive only to currents of relatively greater magnitude; a parallel circuit through said marker and said indicator controlled by the relay responsive to currents of relatively lesser magnitude; said marker and said indicator having different inductances and means for maintaining said parallel circuit open when said last named relay is de-energized.

WALTER M. PERRY.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,061,979.

November 24, 1936.

WALTER M. PERRY.

Page 2, first Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that error a ears in e the above numbered patent requiring co r iection az fo l l ag Speculation of column, line 63, claim 1, for the word "flow" read flaw' 'and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of February, A. D. 1957.

(Seal) rality of relays responsive to currents of various magn udes adapted to be energized by said flaw respo sive means, a main circuit through said marker and said indicator including the relay responsive only to currents oi relatively greater magnitude; said marker and said indicator having different inductances and means for maintaining said inductive circuit open when said last named relay is de-energized.

8. In a flaw detector mechanism for electrical conductors, a flaw responsive mechanism, an electrically operated marker for marking the conductor,- an additional electrically operated indicator and means whereby said flaw responsive means actuates said marker and said indicator, said last-named means comprising a plurality of relays responsive to currents of various magnitudes adapted to be energized by said flaw responsive means, a main circuit through said marker and said indicator including the relay responsive only to currents of relatively greater magnitude; a parallel circuit through said marker and said indicator controlled by the relay responsive to currents of relatively lesser magnitude; said marker and said indicator having different inductances and means for maintaining said parallel circuit open when said last named relay is de-energized.

WALTER M. PERRY.

CERTIFICATE or CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,061,979.

November 24, 1936.

WALTER M. PERRY.

Page 2, first Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents.

It is hereby certified that error a ears in e the above numbered patent requiring co r iection az fo l l ag Speculation of column, line 63, claim 1, for the word "flow" read flaw' 'and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of February, A. D. 1957. 

